The smart TV is a kind of TV, on which it is possible to switch to and watch the screens for TV, mobile phone, PC, etc. freely without any interruption of data, and called as Internet TV or Connected TV. The smart TV works as a communication center that enables to download and watch contents in real time, and check news, weather, email, etc. anytime. It is a multi-functional TV, which combines the function of Internet access with TV, and enables, in addition to the traditional TV watching, to use web-surfing, VOD watching, search and input, social network service, game, etc. by installing various apps.
Conventional smart phone or smart pad can be manipulated to input and the like by touching a screen with a finger or pen directly while holding it with hand or putting it on a table. However, since the smart TV is a few meters away from the user as in the conventional TV, it is not practical to touch the screen directly to input. It is unavoidable to control the smart TV with a remote.
However, since the smart TV is a device that can provide much more functions and services than the conventional TV, the conventional remote controller for the conventional TV having simple functions such as channel selection, volume control, etc. only is not appropriate. A new remote controller with control functions suitable for the smart TV is needed. Since the functions of smart TV are various and complicated, if it is to be realized with a button-type, too many buttons must be provided. Then, such too many buttons would make its structure complicated, and it would be inconvenient for the user to learn the functions of buttons and to use properly.
Touchscreen-type remote controller may solve the above problems. However, some of the conventional touchscreen-type remote controllers make the user navigate menus for searching for a right command, forcing the user look at the using remote controller and control all the time. Since it must be checked on the screen of remote controller whether the controlling has been done correctly, the user must look at the smart TV screen and control, which is cumbersome and not preferable.
Other touchscreen-type remote controller communicates bidirectionally with the smart TV that is being controlled remotely and commands the smart TV to display a specific graphic user interface (GUI) on the remote controller. Since the GUI on the remote controller changes according to a context of display of the smart TV, the user must look at the GUI for manipulating the remote controller, which is inconvenient.